Harry Potter and the Dragons Lair
by The Dark Dragon Angel
Summary: (Rated Pg-13 for blood and mild swearing) Swordfights,Dragons,Elves,New World,New Powers,smart-alleck talking animals(what more could you want?). Voldemort has a plan to kill Harry...but where is he? Find out. Some romance, but not the main plot. R/R!
1. Prologue: A Short Description

PROLOGUE  
  
We were not always alone...  
  
Rhona is land of many things. It borders the Twilight Sea and is west of the Desert of Death.  
  
It has five countries, five species, five emblems, and five Council members.....  
  
Aquana, Ocean Clan The City of the Horse, Home of Maylin the Wise  
  
......  
  
Sharne, Desert Clan The City of the Lion, Home of Taran the Illusionist  
  
......  
  
Xylon, Forest Clan The City of the Wolf, Home of Sylvain the Cunning  
......  
  
Hilzarie, Sky Clan The City of the Eagle, Home of Gwanhir the Swift  
  
......  
  
Sierra, Mountain Clan The City of the Dragon, Home of Atalanta the Warrior  
  
......  
  
Each have rivalries, each have traditions.  
  
How does one reach a place like this?  
  
They were once open to travel back and forth between Earth and Rhona, but Rhona closed the portal for an unknown reason. They say only the Council can open the portal again but to reach the world you have to touch something, almost like a portkey, that someone from Rhona made. This is the only way.  
  
The last person to enter Rhona from this world was a man by the name of Godric Gryffindor he left a manuscript in an untitled book (it is untitled because it changes its appearance every 4 months) that is believed to be a total first hand account of his magical life. Sadly however, Godric Gryffindor died two months after the portal was closed. His manuscript on Rhona was later found, and a month later Matilda Agric who didn't realize that the book changed shape every few months put it in the Hogwarts library. Thus the book was lost again.  
  
The manuscript holds a vivid account of the world:  
I almost at a loss for words as I sit here in Desmond, capital of Rhona, the land in young and wild untouched by the black smoke of industry. There are 5 different people here; Switchers, a kind of multi-animagus that live in woods of Xylon; Elves, fair humans with tapered ears that can make anything a mere mirage of the mind and live in harsh Sharne desert; Spirits, living on Aquana they are tall folk who are limited in regular magic skill but can manipulate stone, fire, water, and wind to the point where you wonder if they are made of the elements themselves; Gifted, shrewd people who can manipulate the mind further than the Elves and their illusions, they dislike the humans presence here the most and live on the floating island of Hilzarie, they are one of the stranger kind with amber eyes and three fingers; The strangest kind of all though is the Draconians, they are half-Dragon and live in cliff dwellings of Sierra.  
There was a Council meting today, they have officially proclaimed the peace between our world and this one. It was announced when the watchtower was finished. The watchtower is in the middle of Nylaris Pass and will soon be a second portal. It is truly a wondrous day.  
  
Now as to weather or not that portal was actually built is unconfirmed. This is because contrary to what Godric Gryffindor wrote, the first portal closed two weeks later with no word from Rhona. This shocked wizards across the world.  
  
The three largest and most accepted theories of the day were:  
1.) In making the second portal the first on collapsed and the person who made the first one died.  
  
2.) A cataclysm occurred and completely wiped out Rhona  
  
3.) A war or disaster that they might have thought would occur in our world and somehow transfer into theirs caused them to close the portal.  
  
None of these have ever been proven.  
  
Though, a group of sages from Rhona made five portkeys, which they scattered in our world for a few people from our world to reach theirs so that they might find out what is going on in our world. When you find the object a flash of green light (similar to the Avada Kedavra though not deadly. This actually leads some people to think they died and were living some afterlife)  
  
As Gryffindor mentioned there is Council which meets to discuss problems and events. This council, contrary to the first theory, is believed to make the portal. It is suggested that it would take all five to open a massive portal such as the first one, but that one individual Council member could open a smaller portal that only he or she could use.  
  
You are probably wondering by now what all this is supposed to be about, other than some world.  
  
You are lucky you know this information in the format of words and writing and not having to learn it first-hand.  
  
Like someone else did.  
  
*These facts are based on journals of previous trips to this world and the facts may change if further study is done. 


	2. Chapter 1: A Chain of Unlikely Events

Harry Potter and the Dragon's Lair  
  
CHAPTER 1: A Chain of Unlikely Events  
  
"Harry Potter! Wake up! It's time for breakfast!"  
  
The aforementioned boy rolled over and groaned. He got up knowing that if he didn't he'd have another impossible workload.  
  
"Hurry up boy! I don't have all day!"  
  
"Coming Aunt Petunia!" His sarcasm was missed through the door.  
  
Harry looked back at the room. Hermione had sent him a bookpouch (a leather case to put as many books as you want in it(it magically expanded) and a birthday card that said Happy Birthday, told him what the gift was, and had a postscript saying: don't blame yourself. Harry knew what she meant. Cedric's death plagued his dreams and always woke up hearing "Kill the spare..." It enraged him that all that Cedric was was a spare, an extra chocolate in the Dark Lord's candy box.  
  
Harry turned to Ron's gift, next to Hermione's (instead of books it held the invisibility cloak and Marauders map), was watch (to replace his old one) but instead of telling time it hand five hands. Each had a name on them: Ron, Hermione, Sirius, Remus, and Hagrid. In Ron's note, other than the usual birthday greetings, held an invitation to pick him up tomorrow to take him to the Burrow. Uncle Vernon grudgingly agreed in the end.  
  
Harry closed the door softly and ran down the stairs. The Dursleys were ignoring Harry for the most part, but Harry didn't want to tempt fate. He pulled out the frying pan and started to make breakfast for his (un)loving family.  
  
Harry filled the sink with water as he flipped the pancakes with one hand holding the pan the other stopped the water when the sink was full.  
  
He put the pancakes on a plate and the bacon on the other.  
  
"Looks like you did something right for a change boy." Vernon Dursley grunted.  
  
Harry looked at the fridge for his chores; it was longer than yesterdays.  
  
"Might as well start with the garden first." He said under his breath.  
  
Harry went outside and looked up. From the clouds it seemed it would rain.  
  
As he weeded something was nagging him in the back of his brain. It was the dream he had last night, it wasn't about Cedric or Voldemort (he was almost certain) but it was by no means happy. All he could remember was walking along some desert in the middle of the night.  
  
He stooped down to yank out a purple flowered weed.  
  
He wondered how he could end up in a desert. He was in England! Of course peopl  
  
He moved all the rocks back into their former position after he weeded.  
  
Harry looked up. The rain was closing in fast, he had to hurry or Petunia would give him a lecture if came in all muddy and wet.  
  
Putting his hand on a tree to take a rest he did not realize he set off a chain of unlikely events.  
  
There was a blinding flash of green light and all that was there was an indent where a rock was that filled slowly with rainwater.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A/N: I hope you people like this... I know it was confusing, but reading the prologue will help for future references- trust me, I'm the Author, I rewritten this story- oh, a good eight times. So you will enjoy it if it kills me. If you are not enjoying this do not (I repeat: Do not.) just exit off this fic and find another one. Type a review, flame, an idea you have for my story (I have a feeling I'll need them) and submit. I read them at 7:00 in the morning on weekdays.  
  
I hope to finish this story before next school year, considering this will be two parts, it's not likely.  
  
Again, feel free to type anything in your reviews to my story (just so long as they have with do with the story).  
  
-The Dark Dragon Angel  
  
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~~ 


	3. Chapter 2: Captors, Finders, or Whatever...

Harry Potter and the Dragon's Lair  
  
CHAPTER 2: Captors, Finders, Whatever They Are  
  
Harry opened his eyes but regretted it instantly when a bright sun shone directly into his eyes.  
  
He rolled over to hide his face from the blazing sphere. He opened his eyes again to see the grass being pulled up by a mouth.  
  
He leaped back and took in his surroundings. He was sitting in a clearing half-surrounded by four horses; white, chestnut, black, and dapple-gray. There was a crackling sound to his left, which turned out to a campfire. Two people were talking in hushed tones and it hit Harry that he was not in England anymore.  
  
Harry lay back down quickly hoping the people who set him by the fire wouldn't notice his awakening. He racked his brain for some reasonable cause of all this. Harry replayed the memory back in his head.  
  
He finished gardening for Aunt Petunia and was about to enter the house when suddenly there was a flash of light. It didn't make sense- wait he grabbed a tree for support while he rested. But that did not help in any way.  
  
He heard a branch crack and he instinctively reached to his pocket for is wand, his eyes widened when he realized his wand was not there.  
  
Harry tried to listen to the conversation by the campfire so he could at least figure out who his captors were.  
  
"I don't like it. They came way to close than what was safe, Kele." A musical female voice said.  
  
"Althea, if I told you once I told you a hundred of times. They are not interested in our party. We should be to blame if anything, we are camped practically next to their territory!", replied a humorous male voice.  
  
"You sound like Zeroun."  
  
"The guy wasn't half-bad, a little neurotic, but in that family, it's hereditary."  
  
"Kele!" the sound of something hitting fabric was heard  
  
"Hey, it's the truth, and I don't say anything behind her back I wouldn't say to her face."  
  
"I hope you mean Atty."  
  
"Who else?"  
  
"That ninny or old bat."  
  
"Ebony would just bat her eyelashes and laugh and Ecthal, well, who knows what she would do?  
  
"Probably hex you like she did Erid."  
  
"Oooo. No thanks, I like the way I look just fine and dandy."  
  
"I'll go check the trail to see if they found us."  
  
Harry heard the rustle of leaves and a loud pop and whine from the campfire. Harry wondered who was pursuing his captors, and wondered if he should hope if they should be caught. Harry shivered and thought that it was quite cold for the noon. The man, Kele, who stayed must have saw him shiver because he heard footsteps come toward him and felt a warm cloak cover him. Harry tried not to trust his captors, but he did give them points for at least caring. He stiffened slightly when he heard footsteps in the clearing again.  
  
"Look what I found." Announced Althea.  
  
The sound of tiny clicks of metal ebbed from the campfire.  
  
"So they are gone then?" Kele asked.  
  
"No one leaves something like that on the road and walks away, even if it is to bait a trap."  
  
"No kidding. Now that we know Trespassers won't be giving us any problems, where are Troy and Diedra?"  
  
"You don't want to here my suggestion."  
  
"Okay Althea, other than Troy inviting the Trespasser over here for lunch after being caught kissing Deidra, what happened to them?"  
  
"Oh I'd say they were caught by wolves and their bones are now making an interesting floor mat in some cave." A new voice said as footsteps and a yelp of surprise were heard in the clearing.  
  
"Troy, don't do that again!" Kele growled.  
  
"Calm down Kele, and put that away. We have enough problems as it is." Said a female voice, huskier than the other.  
  
"Hey, uh. Who's the kid?" asked Troy walking near Harry, who tensed slightly not wanting to be caught eavesdropping.  
  
"The reason we're out here." Kele replied, still ticked.  
  
"You mean the Council sent us to round up a scrawny, little boy?" Troy half stated.  
  
Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle in anger. Silently cursing Dudley and his diet he resumed his listening.  
  
"Troy you half-wit! Take a look at his clothes, he is not from around here!"  
  
Harry strained his ears trying to hear some soft whisper of an explanation but the only sounds were the crackling of the campfire and the horses grinding the soft grass with their teeth.  
  
"Run that by me again, I thought I must have heard you say he is a foreigner." Troy said softly.  
  
"He did." The other female that must be the aforementioned Deidra said.  
  
"That's impossible! The portals were shut off 1000 years ago! The transporters were all destroyed 500 years ago! And above all, the council didn't summon him!" Troy shriek-whispered to the group.  
  
"Be quiet you cracked-brained ninny! If the Trespassers here us we won't exactly have time to converse the topic of the youth's existence." Althea harshly whispered.  
  
Harry's mind was going a mile a minute. Portals, transporters, foreigner, people who do not have a lot of contact with the outside world. It was enough to make him scared. At least they didn't know he was awake.  
  
"How long has he been sleeping?" Troy asked.  
  
"Two hours. We'll have to wake him up if he doesn't open his eyes before high noon, I am not traveling in the dark with Trespassers on my heals." Althea said.  
  
A wave of silence passed over the camp.  
  
Harry wondered if anyone knew he was missing. They might notice when Petunia comes outside to see what is taking so long and then discovers he wasn't there. She'll be mad.  
  
There was almost a Voldemort feeling about these Trespassers. Harry wondered if they would find them, but what would happen next? His mind hurt with all the different possibilities there were each one as likely as the next. Harry decided to boil it down to the basics:  
  
1) He was completely clueless of his surroundings, bad for escape  
  
2) He was at least partially expected, might want to wait for answers  
  
Harry decided to listen to the current conversation to figure out what was going on.  
  
"So how did you find him?" Toy asked. Harry assumed they were talking about him.  
  
"Fell right out of the sky he did. I thought he was one of the Eagle folk, but believe it or not, he bounced." Kele said amused.  
  
Had Harry been awake he would have looked like a bug-eyed fish. He, Harry Potter, fell out of the sky and bounced. Draco would die laughing, but then again, after that ferret incident, he shouldn't talk.  
  
"Of course I wanted to see if he was okay. Amazingly he was, though his leg looked a little bent, but Althea healed that." Kele continued.  
  
Harry resisted the urge to move his leg to find out if what they said was true.  
  
Suddenly out of the blue Deidra asked, "Was he armed?"  
  
After a pause Althea said, "He had a polished stick that shot sparks when I touched it but other than that, nothing."  
  
Harry now knew that there was magical talent here but that they never saw a wand before. Which brought him back to the ever-persisting question: Where is he?  
  
"Should we wake him up now?" Kele suggested.  
  
"I'd leave him, give him thirty minutes. If he sleeps now he won't pass out on the trip." Deidra said flatly.  
  
"Or in a fight." Troy said pointblank.  
  
"You think they'll attack?" Althea asked.  
  
"If you saw the Trespassers with this kid you would be curious and stop them, right?" Kele said.  
  
"Yes, but Trespassers don't stop you, ask who is with you, interrogate the kid, then let you go on your merry little way. They stop you, ask who is with you, and then drive a knife through your heart." Troy said sarcastically.  
  
"No, no, no. That's not Trespasser style, they ram the knife through your back or behead you, depends on the mood their in." Deidra said darkly.  
  
"So how are we getting out of here?" Troy asked.  
  
"The Wilder Path" Althea said matter-of-factly.  
  
Somebody groaned.  
  
"Isn't that the one with the-" Troy started to say but Kele interrupted.  
  
"Yes. That one, but they say the troll died."  
  
Harry was confused by now. The group he was with wasn't a group of Muggles, they knew what a troll was. But how could they be magical if they didn't know what a wand was?  
  
Harry decided that now would be the best time to 'wake up' and ask. Harry rolled over to his other side to face the campfire but still away from the sun then opened his eyes.  
  
The first thing he said was, "Where am I?"  
  
The group jumped realizing he was awake.  
  
For the first time Harry actually looked at his captors, or finders, or whatever they were.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Well, yeah...  
  
Beware of the sadistic squirrels!  
  
-TDDA  
  
~~  
  
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	4. Chapter 3: And Where Am I?

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other affiliated paraphernalia.  
  
Harry Potter and the Dragons Lair  
  
CHAPTER 3:  
  
Four people were sitting around the campfire.  
  
A woman with short auburn hair and blue eyes sat nearest to him. She nudged a man with reddish-brown hair and light brown eyes who in turn shook his head and prodded the fire.  
  
"Where am I?" Harry asked again.  
  
A female wearing a hood on the other side of the fire glanced (well that's what it seemed, Harry couldn't see her eyes) at the blonde man next to her then said, "Rhona, you're in Rhona."  
  
"Where?"  
  
The blonde man opened his mouth but the woman covered his mouth.  
  
"A very different place from where you come from." she said.  
  
Harry must have expressed surprise be she remarked amused, "Yes, I know where your from. Not many fall from the sky and hit the ground, most stop half way down." She ladled something from a pot into an earthen bowl. "You from the Other Place, as we call it. We haven't had contact with your kind for many years."  
  
Harry himself thought that half a millennia could not be described, as 'many years' more like, 'many, many, many years'.  
  
"My kind?" Harry asked befuddled.  
  
"The isolated ones." she said with a slight smile as she handed him the bowl with a spoon, it was only then Harry realized how hungry he was. Harry thought he saw something on her hand but it withdrew back into her sleeve.  
  
"What is your name?" Harry asked although he already knew this was Althea. Harry looked at the soup and took a small sip; it was good Harry admitted as he took a few more.  
  
"Why you know it your self, don't ask me." she grinned.  
  
"How- what-huh?" Harry was confused.  
  
"Althea," said the one Harry identified as Troy by his voice, "you're scaring the kid." Then in a stage whisper he leaned toward Harry and said, "She reads minds."  
  
Harry didn't know whether he was kidding or not but what she said next shocked him so much he dropped his bowl.  
  
"Harry Potter, you have been told you were destined for great things, now you will see that 'great' was only the beginning."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Petunia Dursley was looking through the spice cabinet when a bright flash flooded in through the window. In shock she dropped the half empty jar labeled 'Nutmeg' and it shattered on the floor. Leaving the jar on the floor she wandered over to the window cautiously and peered out. It was a normal scene by her high standards.  
  
The Hedge that were clipped yesterday were still in order, the freshly weeded garden was trim, the pathway didn't have any weeds in the cracks, and the ivy stayed on the trellis and didn't stray off onto anything else. Only one thing was missing.  
  
Her darling nephew.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At Hogwarts school for witchcraft and wizardry things were not so calm.  
  
In fact any one who said it was anywhere near calm deserved to be stunned on sight.  
  
~~~~  
  
Sirius Black (still a fugitive of Azkaban), was saving up money to buy a house when the caught weasely rat, Pettigrew. He needed a job and brought his case to Dumbledore who complimented Sirius on looking for a job instead of asking for money. Of course Dumbledore had only one job left that the whole staff had shunted to one side: Addressing envelopes to students.  
  
Of course this was magically done, it required a spell in which you say the students name and the incantation, but you have to do each one at a time. Last Severus Snape got stuck with the job, the year before that was Minerva McGonagall, and the year before that it was Gilderoy Lockhart (He thought he was addressing fan mail), and so on and so forth. The job was one that got shunted every year, leaving it to Dumbledore to trick someone into doing it. Last year he asked for the most responsible teacher to show up at his office, Severus Snape got their first only to find an empty office with a stack of letters and envelopes with a note that said:  
  
Congratulations!  
  
You have been chosen to address the envelope to our wonderful students. On their behalf I thank you for accepting this job to invite them back for another school year.  
  
I am sorry I couldn't be here but a very pressing matter was called to my attention,  
  
Albus  
  
Needless to say, it is a very good thing Minerva McGonagall got to the door while it was slightly open to hear Professor Snape's string of curses to know not to enter.  
  
Well Sirius tried not to complain, after all Albus had done for him, and took the job. Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall were in such a kind mood after hearing the job was already assigned that they were seen talking civilly with each other in the Staff Room.  
  
Sirius Black was sitting in the third floor corridor, which once held Fluffy, and had just addressed the envelope to Sally-Anne Perks. He yawned and looked at the list to see who was next. 'Potter, Harry' stood out in loopy green handwriting. Sirius quickly grabbed an acceptance letter and flipped it over and after finding a quill and a half-empty ink bottle he wrote:  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I think you can guess where I am right now. Lupin had to come here for some meeting and I came along. I started looking for some work and Professor Dumbledore was kind enough to give me a few odd jobs around here.  
  
Now for the serious part, and yes you must read this,  
  
Be careful, don't go anywhere without a wand. Now that Voldemort's back dark times are ahead of us. Mundungus Fletcher came back with some news on him, in doesn't sound too good. Don't talk to strangers, but listen; even in muggle newspapers there are hints that can be picked up. You may end up coming here for the summer, Mrs. Weasley has been here four times asking Dumbledore if you could come, so far he has turned her down.  
  
Don't blame yourself for anything; you know it is not your fault. The last thing you need is to go crazy.  
  
Sorry if I sound like Moody but as your Godfather I have to.  
  
Sirius  
  
Sirius was confident enough to put in his name because it was a very good thing the Ministry didn't check school acceptance letters.  
  
He folded the letter and shoved it in the envelope and quickly muttered the incantation. Slowly in green ink formed the address of the Boy-Who-Lived.  
  
Sirius picked up the letter and smiling dropped it in the mail slot that magically sent it to the owlery.  
  
~~~~  
  
An hour later he had finished addressing the last envelope to 'Zabini, Blaise' when Professor Dumbledore walked in with Professor Snape.  
  
"Finished already?" the Headmaster smiled, "That has to be a new record."  
  
Snape's frown just deepened, then it lifted as he said, "You missed one" and he pointed to a face down envelope in front of the mail slot.  
  
"It's just one, I might have missed." Sirius said, slightly strained, then bent down to pick up the letter.  
  
"You've missed a lot of things." Snape provoked.  
  
Sirius just sent a quick glare and looked at the front of the envelope. He expression changed from angry to puzzled as he said, "It's blank."  
  
"Open it up, the spell may have just passed through the envelope but hit the letter." Dumbledore suggested.  
  
Sirius tore the seal and pulled out the letter and it read,  
  
Dear ,  
  
You have been invited to Hogwarts School....  
  
"There is no name on it either." He said.  
  
"There is something on the back." Snape stated.  
  
Sirius turned the letter over and looked to Dumbledore, "It's the note I wrote on the back of Harry's acceptance letter."  
  
"That is not allowed according to regulations." Snape said smirking slightly.  
  
"Well at least we know who it belongs to." Sirius said.  
  
"Sirius, get another envelope and readdress it." Dumbledore said sending a warning glance to Snape.  
  
Sirius did as he was told but the envelope remained blank. Dumbledore told him to do it a few more times then he did him self. Only a faint imprint on the paper appeared:  
  
M-. H---- ------  
  
R----  
  
---- V-----  
  
D------ C------ ----  
  
Sirius said what everyone was thinking, "That's not his address".  
  
Severus then voiced the next question, "Then what is it?"  
  
"Severus," Dumbledore said, the twinkle in his eyes left, "Call the Order."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry looked down from the passing scenery. For two hours, according to Troy, they had been riding and were now in the East Valley. He was pondering what Althea, who still had an oversized navy robe on, said. 'Great things' was all he seemed destined for. Whatever happened to small things? And how will he accomplish them here? Where was here?  
  
Gravel crunched under Kele's horse. Harry looked up, a city that seemed centuries after its prime rose above him. Ruins and crumpled pillars fell into river that just flowed through the entire city turning buildings into miniature islands. Harry looked around for some bridge of some sort and found one, with the middle missing.  
  
Althea dismounted and motioned for Harry to do the same, Harry never rode a horse before and had no clue how to do it, so he made a mistake. He drew one leg over to the left side of the saddle and hopped off, well he didn't get that far. The horse was caught by surprise at this dismounting tactic and reared then thrusted forward a bit, sending Harry into the river.  
  
Spluttering, he crawled out of the water. In his peripheral view he caught Troy holding onto his horse for support from laughing so hard. Kele was just shaking his head as he unloaded his horse, Deidra was now chewing out Troy in what seemed to be two different languages, and Althea seemed not to notice that Harry just did a swan dive off her horse.  
  
A flat boat was tied to a pillar that was snapped in half. Kele and Althea put the packs on the boat and Deidra and Troy loaded the horses on. Harry, still sopping wet, followed.  
  
The boat seemed to be guiding itself along the stream and Harry was reminded of the boats leading across the lake into Hogwarts in his first year. Harry gulped and wondered if there was a giant sea monster lurking under them as well.  
  
They came to a stop at a giant marble building. Kele and Althea got off and motioned for Harry to follow. When the boat drifted away with Deidra and Troy still on it Althea must have done that mind reading thing again because as she lifted up her hand to wave good-bye, she said, "They don't work here at the Council."  
  
Harry vaguely remembered the Council being mentioned earlier but his thoughts ended abruptly when he saw Althea's hand slip out from under the cloak. He stared at the hand and recounted the finger as many times as he could but the total always came to three, a thumb and two fingers. The outermost finger and ring with a crest he could not make out, it appeared to have wings, but Harry wasn't too sure. The hand curled up and withdrew back into the cloak and Althea walked into the building through the archway and signaling for him to follow.  
  
When they entered the building Althea took of her cloak and hung on a hook which was a fang on an entire jaw of some huge animal. Harry wondered for a second how scary that skull would seem in the dark. He then looked at Althea.  
  
Her silvery hair cascaded down her back over a dark blue robe with black embroidery. Her eyes were a golden amber and again Harry wondered if he was in the right hands.  
  
Althea walked over to the a desk on the other side of the room. Harry hesitated a bit in following, smoke rose in thick plumes from the desk but seemed to disappear when Althea arrived.  
  
"You really should stop this, it's a very bad habit." Althea stated as if saying 'hello'.  
  
A squat, old lady sat behind the desk balancing a long thin pipe between her fore and middle fingers. In a raspy, stretched voice she croaked, "Ahh, Althea. You know I'll outlive anyone in this building." she then hacked a not-so-gentle cough.  
  
"My messages?" Althea said calmly as she twisted her ring around her finger.  
  
"Dra'agorn Elyisa, called you three times, each message containing- cough- a warning about tree sprites causing a ruckus -hack -on his property." She said riffling through a stack of papers.  
  
"It's not his property, he crossed the Nylaris Border twenty times, if he's complaining about tree sprites he just wants an excuse to see the Council."  
  
"Well he got it." the old woman said then went into a coughing fit.  
  
"What! Who gave the okay?"  
  
"Heh, Atalanta did, apparently the scales will tip to our favor then."  
  
"Atalanta? She never calls people in." Althea said confused.  
  
"You should have seen her- hack hack- hehehe, she was so mad. He came here to schedule a meeting-"  
  
"He what!" Althea shouted, her voice echoed slightly off the marble walls.  
  
"Hehehe-cough- She blasted him through the door. He hit Deren Ko!- hack hack hack- She was so-"  
  
"I haven't heard about Atalanta getting angry for, what is it, eight months." Althea seemed thoughtful.  
  
"And Rior! He was scared-"  
  
"I'll have to schedule a private meeting."  
  
"then Ecthal came- hack hack- bounding in and he picked his butt up and ran out!"  
  
"I'd imagine." Althea said dryly as the lady went into another coughing fit.  
  
"Dain called too." the lady said her eyes slightly watered but grinning all the same.  
  
"Now Nera," Althea said what Harry assumed was her name, "What is that absolute idiot to you?"  
  
"A chance to see a Binding ring on your finger." She smiled and Harry winced at the yellow teeth that came from the constant smoking of incense.  
  
Althea did not respond to the last comment but said, "I have to see the Council now."  
  
Nera looked up and asked, "All five?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Nera wrote something on a slip of paper, put it in a jar sealed the lid tightly, then walked over to a wall with multiple holes in it then with a motion of her hand the jar disappeared into one of the holes with a splash of water.  
  
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Should I continue?  
  
Your thoughts count. 


	5. Chapter 4: The Council

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and any other affiliated stuff, I own Rhona and all it's inhabitants though.  
  
Harry Potter and the Dragon's Lair  
  
CHAPTER 4: The Council  
  
Harry looked into the green, blue, black, red, and white marble chamber. He glanced at Althea but her face seemed to be in a grim set. Harry gulped and shivered in his still damp clothes.  
  
Twelve torches were lit on each side of the room, although that did not seem to provide enough light, the room was glowing like mid-afternoon.  
  
He saw five throne-like chairs. To the far left going right: A human-like figure with silvery-white hair sat in a silver chair except he had only three fingers on each hand and his amber eyes pierced Harry's thoughts. The blonde one next to him sat in a golden chair he seemed perfectly normal except for the fact that he had two pointy ears, instead of normal ones and two silver eyes with an unusual sparkle in them. Next to the elf sat what appeared to be human with brown hair on a wooden chair with gems molded to it's surface, his brownish-evergreen eyes looked at Harry with curiosity and slight amusement. Next to him in a chair that seemed to be made of glass sat a young woman, she was a deathly pale with royal blue hair in a long braid that reached the floor and her sea-blue eyes held wisdom that seemed to be beyond her years. Beside her sat a girl that seemed no older than Harry in a chair made of black stone with no back so her black and silver dragon-like wings could be spread out, her black pupiless eyes that were filled with anything but excitement and hip length black hair tied back clearly made her the most unusual one there.  
  
Harry fidgeted slightly under the gaze of the five and wondered if had done something wrong. With his luck he probably did.  
  
The one in the middle rose up and said, "I am Sylvain of the Forest Clan, to my right sits Taran of the Desert Clan, and next to him sits Gwanhir of the Sky Clan. To my left sits Maylin of the Ocean Clan and next to her sits Atalanta of the Mountain Clan." gesturing to each with his hands.  
  
"And what would your name be little one?" The blue-haired Maylin asked.  
  
Harry bristled slightly at the 'little' comment but tried not to show it, he didn't know enough about this place to have an opinion yet.  
  
"Harry" He said wondering if he could get away with little information.  
  
"Harold James Potter, you mean." said the silver haired member on the left.  
  
"Er..Yeah." he said lamely.  
  
The winged girl looked at Althea and said before the elf Taran had a chance to start what he was going to say, "Where did you find him?" she said in a mechanical tone.  
  
"In the Shadow of Hilzarie" Althea said in her ever-professional tone.  
  
Gwanhir looked up and asked as if had not heard right "Hilzarie? The Shadow?"  
  
"Yes, in the shadow" she said repeating herself.  
  
Sylvain asked with slight concern, "Which edge?"  
  
Hesitating, Althea seemed to be choosing her words carefully, "On the East side," she paused, " near Nylaris."  
  
A groan could be heard from Gwanhir, Taran leaned to the left and mumbled something to Sylvain's who nodded slightly. Maylin looked concerned at Atalanta who looked like she was trying very hard to dig up a memory.  
  
Harry wondered what had caused this reaction and assumed it was the name Nylaris.  
  
"And why was he there?" Sylvain asked wearily. Great, Harry thought, he was already in trouble for ending up in someplace he never heard of and probably would have to face the consequences.  
  
"Falling." Althea said deadpan.  
  
"Falling?" Sylvain asked eyebrows raised to match seven others (Atalanta only had one raised).  
  
"Falling. Oh, and he bounced." Althea said not catching any of the amusement of what she was saying.  
  
"And he bounced." Sylvain said in a now only slightly tired tone, then, in a louder one said, "May the ledger show that the purpose of Harold James Potter's occupancy in the Forbidden Radius of Nylaris Pass was because he fell and-" then to Althea he asked in a tone of 'Are you sure?' "Bounced, was it?" Then continued when Althea nodded in confirmation, "-bounced." there was a snigger coming from the left of the Council to confirm the amusement of the situation.  
  
Harry by now was blushing enough beat a tomato. He glanced into the general area of where Sylvain had talked. There on black circular table was draped a long piece of parchment and a two-foot long, white, quill that was etching the word into the paper on its own. Harry was instantly reminded of Rita Skeeter's accursed acid-green quill.  
  
"Now," Sylvain said smiling lightly all weariness gone, "if you were falling you obviously had to fall off something, the edge of Hilzarie perhaps?"  
  
"No, no, no."Althea interrupted before Harry could say something, "This is boy from the Other Place."  
  
Atalanta went into a coughing fit, Maylin just stared, Sylvain was mouthing wordlessly, Taran inserted his forefinger into a pointy ear wondering if had heard right, while Gwanhir just blinked dazed.  
  
Sylvain regained his voice and said, "Althea, the Council leaves the boy in your charge. We ask that you bring him here tomorrow at high noon he will be interviewed own his own then. You may go."  
  
Althea took Harry by the shoulder and lead him back down the hallway silently. Only when they reached the door did Harry hear the voice of another person, Nera.  
  
"That was quick," she said across the hall. Kele was nowhere in sight.  
  
"They took it quite well actually." Althea said lightly walking towards the jaw, from this angle Harry could see it was that of an enormous shark. Harry gaped at the thought that something like a shark could be so, well, huge.  
  
"Took-keh-keh-keh- what?" she asked clearing her throat.  
  
"Ah, nothing much, basic report on the scouting mission." Althea giving Harry a glance as she moved to take her cloak off the tooth.  
  
Nera said nothing more on the topic as footsteps echoed along the main entrance. After each footfall was a resounding clink of metal.  
  
Althea did a wonderful impression of a deer caught in the headlights while Nera straightened her papers and restuffed the incense pipe.  
  
Just before the footsteps enter the hall Althea shoved Harry behind her cloak, which judging by its size could easily hide him, but the question was, from what?  
  
"Ah, Althea" said a smooth deep voice, "looking as beautiful as always" Harry could here Nera hacking away in the background.  
  
"Good day to you too." Althea replied forcibly, "May I ask what brings you here at this time?"  
  
"Isn't one allowed to marvel at the history of our world?" he said countering, "But while I'm here I might as well see the Council, a few Tree Sprites are infesting my property."  
  
"Funny, Tree Sprites haven't left their sacred ground for over a millennia, I wonder what should cause one, let one alone a few, to leave." Althea implied innocently, Harry could have sworn there was a laugh hiding behind Nera's second sudden coughing fit.  
  
"That is what I came to find out." the voice said shortly then exited the hall the way he came it was only after the footsteps faded into the silence that Althea lifted her cloak up to reveal Harry.  
  
"We can't take you to a very public area when you are dressed like you are. People ask too many questions" she paused then violently muttered more to herself than Harry "Where is he?"  
  
Soft footsteps were heard then Althea spun around and said, "There you are!"  
  
As Althea walked away Kele came into view holding a wad of clothes under his arm.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mundungus Fletcher looked at his magical wristwatch (useless for keeping any track of time) go from 2:00 to 12:00. What the Devil happened now?  
  
The wristwatch was a gadget given to all Order Members each hour represented a level of danger or importance. Whenever it reach five the top dogs of the Order are having a meeting, six, they let in some other Order members, and so on until 10:00. When it reaches 11:00 everyone can come 12:00 everyone has to.  
  
Mundungus silently cursed and grabbed his deck cards off the table much to the protests of the other players, and then he left the pub and tapped the cards twice with his wand to portkey to Hogwarts.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry stepped out of the storage closet in the hall wearing slightly worn grey trousers, brown leather boots and a white shirt with a beaten up leather vest over it.  
  
He looked around for Kele and Althea, when he couldn't find them he went to see if they were outside. Just as he was turning the corner to leave he heard voices. Pressing flat against the wall he listened.  
  
"How did the Council take it?" asked a voice that was presumably Kele.  
  
"Heh. Quite well actually, though I think at least a few of them suspected it." came Althea's voice  
  
"Like who?"  
  
"Atalanta." she paused " she choked a bit, I think she has more idea than any of the Council what this means."  
  
"Yeah, well" Kele said then paused, "that is right up her alley."  
  
"Don't you start again." Althea said in a warning tone.  
  
"What? I was just going to say that for the past year or so she has been studying and practicing much more than usual, and you know what usual is."  
  
"I think anybody would have an idea as to why." Althea said then was silent for a long moment. "Did you get the charts from Deren and Deidra?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Mmmm-hmmm..." was the reply.  
  
"And?" when there was no answer, "Was Quillan right?"  
  
Kele snorted, "Nope, hate to break it to him though."  
  
Althea sighed. "You and I both."  
  
"Did you hear about the little explosion that happened today?" Kele said baiting Althea.  
  
"Where?" She asked concerned.  
  
"Here."  
  
"Here? Couldn't have Nera told me the only thing that happened today that was worth noting was-Oh." she stopped as realization hit her, "You're talking about Atalanta and Dra'agorn Elyisa."  
  
"And Ecthal"  
  
"What? Are you obsessed with that family?" Althea asked exasperated.  
  
"Nope, I just know there is a secret they are all hiding, and I want to know it." Kele said smugly.  
  
"Dare I ask why?"  
  
"Name one person I don't have dirt on."  
  
"Ecthal. And remind me again why you nose into others business?" she asked in a raised voice.  
  
"So that if, scales forbid, that I am in an argument with someone I can always have a map out." he said delicately  
  
"You mean blackmail." Althea said in her deadpan voice.  
  
"Euh.... Yeeaahh"  
  
"I don't believe you. Come on the boy's waiting by now."  
  
Harry quickly straitened up and walked outside as if to make it seemed he had just walked out.  
  
"There you are, barely recognized you, boats waiting, lets go," he said in a rush fleeing from Althea's glare.  
  
Harry followed too before Althea reads his mind to find him mauling over the information he just heard. All of it was useless at this point and tomorrow the Council will probably know how to get him back home.  
  
~~~~  
  
The boat drift along past decrepit stone building, Harry wondered if they were once or are as marvelous on the inside as the Council building.  
  
A voice behind Harry asked, "So what's your world like?" Harry spun around to see Kele lying back whittling something like a ring out of wood.  
  
"Well?" Kele persisted while Harry tried to think of a good way to answer.  
  
"Which part?" Harry asked meaning the Muggle and Magical types of worlds.  
  
He pointed the knife at Harry and said, "The part you're from."  
  
Harry was going to say he is part of both but then again, was he? "I'm from the more Magical side." Harry said then he wondered if Dumbledore knew he was missing by now, probably Dumbledore has always been on top of things, the Ministry? Maybe, they might know if someone literally dropped off the face of the Earth, but then what about Bertha Jorkins said a nagging voice in his head, she worked for the Ministry and they refused to believe she was missing, waited a few months before even thinking of looking for her.  
  
Do Ron and Hermione know? Or Sirius? What would they say? Sirius would probably go on a rampage in Diagon Alley and then get caught. Harry shuddered at the thought.  
  
"Well what about the Magical side of your world?" Kele asked snapping Harry from his thoughts.  
  
"Well I don't know where to begin..." Harry said wondering where exactly to begin.  
  
"Well where are you most of the time?" Kele said helping Harry along.  
  
"Kele." came Althea's voice from the front of the boat, "You shouldn't question him, the Council hasn't interviewed him yet."  
  
"So?" came his defiant remark.  
  
Althea turned around and came towards the back where they were sitting and kicked the rudder. Pulling a silver strand out of her face she said, "You will be brought in front of the Council and questioned on what he told you."  
  
"Who will tell?" Kele said smiling carefree.  
  
"Me." she then turned and stalked to the front of the boat.  
  
Kele gulped, carefree smile gone, and remained silent (a wise choice) for the rest of the trip.  
  
Harry went back to watching his surroundings wondering what the next day would bring.  
  
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Okay, on to chapter 5!  
  
All right loyal readers, now for some serious input. Tell me what can ruin this fanfic and you favorite character. (do not tell me what will make it better just what will ruin it, I can figure out the rest for myself) 


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